The Ritz Theater was originally opened in 1908 as the Dreamland Theater by Jim B. Wilson who in August 1913 changed its name to the Gym Theater. Wilson died in the 1918 flu epidemic and operation was taken over by H.C. Houston.

In 1924 H.O. Jones purchased the Gym Theater and in the following year it was taken over by Robb & Rowley who closed it in March 1931 to place all their efforts into erecting the Texas Theater in Sherman.

After the theater sat vacant for four years it was refurbished, reopened as the Ritz Theater and became one of the areas most popular theaters until it closed in 1956.